1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an aqueous ink composition, a method of manufacturing the same, a pigment dispersion polymer of an aqueous ink composition for ink jet recording, an ink jet recording method, and an ink jet recorded matter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With prior-art aqueous inks, a surfactant was used as a means for dispersing a pigment in water or a dispersion polymer, having a hydrophobic part and a hydrophilic part, was used for dispersion. As methods of coating the surface of a colorant with a polymer, methods of using microcapsules, encapsulating a dye ink, as ink jet printer ink, methods of using a polymer-coated dye, wherein a dye is dissolved or dispersed in a water-insoluble solvent and emulsified in water using a surfactant, methods of using encapsulated objects, wherein a sublimating dispersion dye is dissolved or dispersed in at least one of water, a water-soluble solvent, and polyester, as microcapsules in a recording fluid, ink compositions comprising colored emulsion-polymerized particles and an aqueous material, and methods employing a phase inversion emulsification reaction or an acid precipitation method have been examined. Furthermore, as methods of using components of high refractive index, methods of providing microparticles of high refractive index, formed of an inorganic substance, on the surface of a pigment, etc., have been proposed. Various methods have also been examined in regard to polymer coating.